Inspirational romance writer Noelle Marchand shares about her debut novel,
Unlawfully Wedded Bride (Love Inspired Historical):
Married — by mistake! He has to convince a woman frightened of love to throw caution to the Texas wind…
Q: WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WRITING UNLAWFULLY WEDDED BRIDE?
I originally wrote Unlawfully Wedded Bride for fun. I did not allow myself to dream it would be published. Mainly, I just wanted to see if I could write another book after I finished my first unpublished manuscript at sixteen.
Q: WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF WRITING THE STORY?
I found the line edit phase of the editorial process rather challenging because I had to create a few new scenes that captured the exact tone of the story at various points. I also had to reveal a very specific amount of very specific information to maintain the flow of the manuscript.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE STORY WHERE YOU DREW ELEMENTS FROM REAL LIFE?
The spiritual lessons that the hero and heroine learned came almost directly from things I learned in my own life while I was writing the story.
Q: WHAT DO YOU HOPE READERS GET OUT OF YOUR WORK?
On a spiritual level, it’s that everyone contends with something in the faith but we cannot let our fears, failures, or foibles blind us to God’s plan for our lives. Instead, we must hope persistently, love courageously, and live joyously.
Q: WHY DO YOU THINK A STORY SUCH A POWERFUL WAY TO COMMUNICATE TRUTH?
There is a quote by Lawrence Durrell that says,”I don’t believe one reads to escape reality. A person reads to confirm a reality he knows is there, but which he has not experienced.” I think that is one reason stories are so meaningful. When people read Christian ficiton, they are able to see less than perfect people overcome their problems to reach their God given destiny. I hope that encourages them that they can do the same.